Behemoth: 10 Things We Learnt From ‘In Absentia Dei’

Necessity is the mother of all invention. As the venues and concert halls of the world stand empty and we are all sequestered away in our homes, live music experiences are beginning to seem like distant but cherished memories. An entire industry – dedicated to promoting and facilitating our favourite artists live in concert – stands on the precipice of collapse: sound and lighting engineers, logistical staff, supporting performers, promoters, bar staff and the artists themselves have had their livelihoods stripped to the bone. Once extinguished, all this cultural expertise cannot simply be reignited. If we sit idly by and allow this industry to fall into ruin, we will soon find ourselves in a cultural void. Thankfully, this industry has built itself on assiduous labour and innovation: in the midst of this global crisis, live music has not disappeared but it has certainly changed. Enter extreme metal stalwarts BEHEMOTH.

Their output has not been stalled by the on-going predicament our world finds itself in, releasing the A Forest EP in May earlier this year – an appendix-piece to the much-celebrated I Loved You At Your Darkest. In August, the band announced that they would be performing “[a] worldwide streamed event for A New Aeon.” Pitched as an immersive concert experience, we were warned that “[there] will be ritual, there will be sacrilege, and all from the comfort of your home.” In Absentia Dei promised to be anything but a run-of-the-mill lockdown livestream, and Distorted Sound was watching as BEHEMOTH redefined the limits of the format. This is what we learned:

Imperial Triumphant Were The Perfect Fit

Opening-acts play an important role in any live event, and tonight is no exception. Coming live from the Slipper Room Cabaret in New York City are our favourite masked metropolitans IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT. Playing with every ounce of intensity that their performances have become renowned for, the trio have left us with an exquisite document of their work for posterity. Champagne-swilling, monument-worshipping and ever-mysterious, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT have reasserted their place at the table tonight with a set focussed on the towering success of Alphaville, and a closing nod to the lavish Vile Luxury.

Behemoth Stand In Solidarity With Their Fans

“To the legions watching us from every corner of this planet, tonight we show our collective strength. Despite the challenges we face, and the plagues we endure, we gather here tonight in this unholy church in celebration of black metal magic. We are together, and together we shall conquer all…”

It would be all but churlish not to acknowledge the current state of affairs, and as public-figures and journalists have long since run out of euphemisms, Nergal chose to address head-on. A statement of solidarity from one of extreme metal’s most resilient characters was not amiss this evening, and we join in his toast.

Good Livestreamed Sound Is Possible

There is simply no recreating the hot screeching of valve amplifiers, the low purr of fifteen-inch bass drivers, and the immediacy of a kick-drum in the home – but, as BEHEMOTH have shown, you can get pretty close. We have all had live events spoiled by muddied sound, and livestreams are afflicted by this more than most, but Satan himself was smiling on BEHEMOTH this evening. Delivered to your screen and speakers in ungodly 4K, the band look and sound fantastic. Unblighted by technical hiccups and the like, BEHEMOTH have raised the bar for the fidelity of the livestreaming format.

Churches Make The Ultimate Venue

One of the few benefits of a closed livestream event is that the band is no longer constrained in their choice of venue, and where else were BEHEMOTH going to perform if not in an abandoned church? Proudly defiling consecrated ground, it is definitely a sight to behold. While BEHEMOTH are far from the first band to perform on holy ground, they are more prepared than most to exploit the sacrilegious potential this opportunity affords: filling the space with fire, unholy symbols and satirical ritual movements. This performance will surely stand alongside GORGOROTH’s infamous Black Mass Krakow as a testimony to black metal’s heresy and dissent.

Behemoth Put Together One Hell Of A Setlist

Presented in four acts, BEHEMOTH’s set celebrates the bands theatrical potential, marshalling material old and new for the night’s performance. Live rarities Prometherion, From The Pagan Vastlands and Sculpting The Throne Ov Seth make an appearance alongside live staples Chant For Eschaton 2000, Conquer All and Ov Fire And The Void. Even the most ardent of purists would have a hard time picking holes in BEHEMOTH’s choices this evening, which are designed to mimic the ebb-and-flow of narrative theatre. Disappointed A Forest didn’t make it onto the set, though? So are we.

Hook Suspension Looks Brutal

It’s fair to say that metalheads generally boast more piercings than most, but there was a moment in the performance that evening which would have had most of us wincing. In the opening of Act III a bare-breasted performer is pierced with hooks, before being suspended from the ceiling of the church, and made to swing and sway like a marionette. Similar feats have been enacted by AMENRA in the past, but not with the same commitment to theatricality. For many, this will have been the visual peak of BEHEMOTH’s performance, and it’s hard to argue with.

Fire Dancing Is Still A Sight To Behold

There’s nothing new about pyrotechnics in a BEHEMOTH performance, but the evening’s venue affords an opportunity for more artful displays of fire and flames. Fire dancers play an important role as supporting performers in In Absentia Dei, adding a touch of elegance and class to the bestial black mass. If you left the performance with the unhealthy desire to set fire to something and swing it about a bit, you’re not alone.

Costumes Are Still Important

Black metal purists might baulk at the idea of costume changes in the middle of a set: surely that’s a vanity best left to pop divas? Well, the BEHEMOTH costume department would have you think otherwise. Accentuating and embellishing the narrative flow of the performance, costume is important in any piece of theatre, and tonight is no exception. Nergal transfigures from a lowly devotee to the papal prince of darkness himself throughout the evening, and the band’s flamboyant headwear has got us all jealous.

Multicam Looks Like It’s Here To Stay

One of the novelties of a streamed event is that the viewer has, in principle, access to any and all of the cameras in the room. BEHEMOTH recognises this, and made the facility for their audience to choose their own experience by picking their own viewing angle. Here at Distorted Sound, we laid our faith in the director – but it will be interesting to see if more bands start to offer multicam options for their live streamed events.

Behemoth Are One Of The World’s Best Live Acts

Above all, BEHEMOTH have reminded us that they are among the best in the business when it comes to executing a live extreme metal show. They show great discipline in playing technical material at length, and never seem to put a foot wrong. Their ability is every bit a match for their ambition, which has been consistently growing over the years. In an increasingly fractured and broken world, BEHEMOTH remind us that artistic fortitude and vision is often enough to see us through.

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